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Undocumented Mexico—U.S. Migration and the Returns to Households in Rural Mexico
Author(s) -
Taylor J. Edward
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
american journal of agricultural economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.949
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1467-8276
pISSN - 0002-9092
DOI - 10.2307/1241697
Subject(s) - position (finance) , mexico city , sample (material) , demographic economics , economics , household income , geography , sociology , finance , ethnology , chemistry , archaeology , chromatography
Abstract This paper presents estimates of net income gains to a sample of households in rural Mexico from sending migrants illegally to the United States, correcting for sample selectivity bias, and it examines the role of expected income gains in driving illegal Mexico—U.S. migration. There is no evidence that people who migrate illegally to the United States are above‐average contributors to household income, either as workers in Mexico or as Mexico—U.S. migrants. However, other things being equal, villagers who are in the best position to contribute to household income as workers in Mexico are positively selected not to migrate to the United States.